Whole tomatoes and a full head of garlic roasted in a cast iron skillet, blended with fresh basil, asiago, and chili flakes, then tossed with mostaccioli and finished with fresh mozzarella. This is the sauce that will ruin every jarred marinara for you forever.
Ingredients
Pasta
- ½ box (8 oz / 227g) Barilla Mostaccioli
Sauce
- 1 lb Campari tomatoes (or any medium on-the-vine tomato), halved
- 1 whole head of garlic, top cut off
- 3–4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Large handful fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Red chili flakes to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated asiago cheese
To Finish
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls, halved
- Extra asiago to taste
Gather Your Ingredients
Before you begin, set up your kitchen. You will need a cast iron skillet (or oven-safe pan), a blender, a large pot for boiling pasta, and a box grater for the asiago. Having everything within reach makes this recipe feel effortless.
The Pasta: Barilla Mostaccioli
Use half a box of Barilla Mostaccioli (about 8 oz / 227g) for two generous servings. Mostaccioli — smooth-cut penne — holds a thick, chunky marinara beautifully. Set it aside while you build the sauce.
Prep the Fresh Mozzarella
Cut your fresh mozzarella balls into bite-sized pieces and set aside in a bowl. These go in at the very end — just long enough to get warm and slightly melty without losing their fresh, milky texture.
Roast the Tomatoes & Garlic
Slice your tomatoes in half and cut the top off a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place both in your cast iron skillet and coat generously with olive oil. Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are caramelized and the garlic is golden, soft, and fragrant. This step is the entire soul of the sauce — do not rush it.
Build the Sauce in the Blender
Transfer the roasted tomatoes to your blender. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves directly into the blender — they will slide right out. Add a generous handful of fresh basil, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, freshly cracked black pepper, red chili flakes to taste, and a good handful of freshly grated asiago cheese. Blend until smooth.
Boil the Mostaccioli
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the mostaccioli for 10–11 minutes until al dente — it should have a slight bite. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse the pasta; the starch on the surface helps the sauce cling.
Simmer the Sauce in the Cast Iron
Pour the blended sauce back into the cast iron skillet — the same one that still has all that fragrant roasted olive oil from step 4. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring to combine the sauce with the oil. The pan drippings from the roasting will deepen the flavor of the sauce even further.
Toss the Pasta in the Cast Iron
Add the drained mostaccioli directly into the cast iron pan with the simmering sauce. Toss well so every piece of pasta is fully coated. This is the restaurant secret — finishing the pasta in the sauce rather than pouring sauce on top means every bite is perfectly seasoned.
Finish with Fresh Mozzarella & Asiago
Add the fresh mozzarella pieces and toss gently — just enough to warm them through. Finish with more freshly grated asiago to taste. Serve immediately, straight from the cast iron.
Recipe Notes
- 1The cast iron skillet is key — it retains the heat from roasting and gives the sauce a depth you cannot replicate in a regular pan.
- 2Do not skip the asiago in the blender. It dissolves into the sauce and adds a nutty, savory backbone that sets this apart from a standard marinara.
- 3Red chili flakes are to taste — start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust. The heat should be a warm finish, not overwhelming.
- 4Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of water or pasta water to loosen the sauce.